Their Third Year
by Willow Whelan
Summary: When Draco chases Harry into the Forbidden Forest, all thirteen-year-old Harry expects is some sort of cruel joke or humiliation. Spans more than just the third year, but it starts there. HPDM - Which means Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are a couple. Also may contain some bits of McGonagall/Snape/Percy Weasley, if you look closely enough. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Harry's heart pounded painfully as he paused running in order to catch a breath. He supported himself on a nearby tree, the rough bark pressing into his palm. He tried to calm down a bit and listen to his surroundings for any sign of pursuit, but Draco was being silent. The spurious quiet worried Harry, as he knew Draco was getting closer. Harry had no desire to be caught and utterly humiliated yet again. He gritted his teeth and pushed off the tree, sprinting deeper into the Forbidden Forest. Listening carefully, Harry could hear footsteps in the dead leaves on the ground other than his own. Harry cursed under his breath, and took his wand out of his coat pocket. He spun around and stopped, and his nervous eyes darted over the foliage in front of him. Harry couldn't hear the other person anymore, and his eyes surveyed a wider perspective, wondering if an attack was going to come from the side. The late afternoon sun warmed his skin a bit, and the leaves rustled in a passing breeze. Harry couldn't see anything moving at all. A soft chuckle seemed to emanate from everywhere at once, causing Harry to start. Draco's voice radiated from the trees, taunting in a soft melody.

"Come on now, Potter, you know you can't run forever." Draco stepped out of the trees directly in front of Harry, but didn't make any threatening moves. Harry stood still, not lowering his wand.

"What do you want from me Malfoy?" Harry's voice rang out clearly, not betraying any of the fear he was feeling. Draco simply laughed, and he began walking in a slow circle around Harry. He inhales deeply.

"You are so... Tenacious. Why is that? Why do you continue to try when you have nothing to try for?" Draco asked, appearing honestly curious.

Harry stayed silent, confused as to where the conversation would lead. Draco started walking toward him, slowly yet threateningly. Harry took a step or two backwards until he runs into a tree. He stiffened, knowing that there was no where to go, as Draco was already right in arms reach of him.

Draco stopped barely a foot away from Harry, and looked deep into Harry's eyes.

"Why?" This one word, this small syllable, was all that he said, but it was all that he needed to say.

Harry took a steadying breath, and replied.

"Because I know that one day, it'll all amount to something."

Draco smirked, and leaned in a bit closer.

"I love it when you're modest, Harry."

Harry looked rather surprised at this, but mostly confused. Now he had absolutely no clue where this conversation was going.

Draco leaned in even closer, now only inches from Harry's face.

"Hey," Draco whispered, "I think I like you. Do you like me?"

Harry's eyes widened a little bit in pure surprise, and his breath stopped in his throat. He wondered briefly if this was some sort of elaborate trick to humiliate him once again. He looked at Draco's eyes, and saw something in those eyes that he didn't usually see. There wasn't just the cool and confident exterior that Draco showed everyone, there was something else, a deeply rooted fear of possibly being rejected.

Harry's words trembled a bit, as he was now very nervous and knew he was treading on thin ice. "W...Why? You hate me, you always insult me, I usually insult you back, you insult my friends, you publicly humiliate me, and now you're saying that you like me?" Harry was completely bewildered that Draco was even capable of having personal feelings, that Draco was even human.

Draco looked surprised and a little bit hurt, staring with his thirteen year old eyes at Harry.

"I thought it would get your attention."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that, as he had never before considered that option. Never before considered the reasoning for the blonde boy's taunting. But now he thought he understood. He smiled a little bit.

"Well, it certainly got my attention. How could I not pay attention to someone calling me a slick git every other day?"

Draco blushed slightly, causing Harry to blush a little bit as well. Harry had never noticed that Draco looked rather cute when he blushed. Draco stuttered a little bit as he tried to talk.

"Uh... w-well, do you think that we... I mean, could... do you think that we could work out?" Draco started blushing furiously at this, and by this point had backed off Harry enough to allow him room to breathe freely.

Upon hearing what Draco said, Harry froze, staring into space in the direction of the ground. His face went a little bit pale, and Draco blushed a bit more. Harry wanted to reply, but for whatever reason, he just couldn't. Draco waited, feeling more hopeless each second that passed.

All of a sudden, Draco whipped around and ran away, completely convinced that Harry could never return his feelings. At that exact moment, Harry unfroze, just in time to grab Draco's pale wrist to pull him back. Then, somehow, Harry's and Draco's lips met in an innocent, surprised kiss. They both froze a bit in surprise, but thawed out just a second later to pull away and blush furiously, both of them somehow in sync.

Harry offered Draco a small, tentative smile, and Draco smiled right back. And they both thought, maybe this really could work out.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry's brow was furrowed as he walked slowly down the empty hallway, holding a large stack of textbooks and papers. It was after his last class of the day, and he knew he didn't have to be anywhere soon. The pile of haphazardly stacked items was starting to shift, and Harry knew he couldn't hold it much longer. He tried to speed up, as if he could actually make it from the dungeons all the way to the seventh floor before the stack fell. Harry was concentrating so fiercely on balance, and he almost didn't notice Draco a little ways up the hallway, looking at Harry with a small smile on his face.

The books began to tilt wildly, and Harry stumbled right along with them, going to the complete other side of the hallway, then the other way, all in the futile attempt to keep steady. He stumbled again, this time falling down to the floor, taking the blunt of the fall on his hip, with his head hitting the floor with a horrible noise. Draco started to run over, suddenly afraid for Harry. Harry was lying sideways on the floor, his books strewn everywhere around him.

Draco kneeled down next to Harry, grabbing his hands.

"Harry! Are you okay? Harry?!" Harry's eyes fluttered slightly open, grimacing slightly from the bruise forming on his hip.

"…Draco?" Since their kiss, it had been a long week of awkward looks and blushes.

"Are you okay Harry?" Draco didn't care that he was repeating his sentences, as long as Harry would be all right. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Harry blushed slightly, a red tint highlighting his cheekbones.

"N-no! Of course not! I'm fine!" Harry was on the defensive, not wanting to look weak, especially not in front of Draco. Draco wasn't convinced, and his eyes showed his obvious skepticism.

Draco leaned in close to Harry's face, his light gray eyes illustrating his worry. Both of them caught their breath, both of them wondering where things would go from there. They were both frozen, wondering who would break the ice first.

Harry leaned in slowly, and Draco met his lips halfway, and for that moment, they both indulged their desires.

After a couple seconds, the tell-tale clacking of a teacher's shoes began to ring out, and Harry and Draco pulled apart quickly, slightly panicking.


	3. Chapter 3

Professor Snape walked around the corner, followed closely by Professor McGonagall. Harry and Draco paused where they were, looking like they were just innocently picking up fallen books. Professor McGonagall fairly squeaked and hid behind Professor Snape. As Harry and Draco looked up, the Gryffindor Prefect, Percy, walked around the corner. His hair was disheveled, and his shirt wasn't even buttoned correctly. Harry and Draco looked at each other, then back up to the professors.

"And what, may I ask, are you two doing here?" Professor Snape asked pointedly to Harry and Draco. The two thirteen-year-olds had no clue what was going on.

Draco replied to Snape, "Well, sir, we could very well ask all of you the same question."

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Draco recoiled a bit.

"Um, Percy? Why is your hair all crazy? Also, why are you breaking literally every single dress code rule?" Harry asked, diverting the conversation.

Percy started to blush furiously, getting angry, and he started shouting.

"Both of you go to your separate dormitories this instant; otherwise you will both have detention!" Percy bellowed at them, but Harry and Draco seemed barely fazed by his outburst.

"Can I at least gather up my books?" Harry asked, in a slightly bored voice. Percy seemed to become even more enraged at Harry's statement.

"No! No you cannot! We will have Filch deliver them to you. JUST GET OUT OF HERE!" With that, Harry and Draco start running down the hallway. When they got a fair distance away, they slowed down and looked at each other. Draco was the one to ask the question on both their minds.

"What in the world was that all about?" Harry shrugged, and they started to go down their separate hallways to their dorm rooms.

Late that evening, Harry was sitting in the common room, waiting for Filch to bring his books like Percy had said he would. The passageway into the room banged open, and Filch stalked in, his faithful cat following close behind. Filch had in his arms an overstuffed pack, and Harry jumped up when he saw Filch. Filch sneered at Harry.

"Here you go, Master Potter," Filch spat out, and he threw the pack into Harry's arms. Harry was caught off balance, and started stumbling backwards. Harry began to fall, and managed to twist halfway around just in time to catch his nose on a side table. Harry let out a small yelp of pain. He slowly looked up, blood beginning to trickle from his nose, but somehow Filch had already disappeared.

Harry gingerly felt his nose, noticing the blood on his fingers. Harry sighed, and started dragging his bag up to his dorm room.

Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table, next to his normal group of people. He was scanning the Gryffindor table for Harry, who was mysteriously absent. At that moment, Harry walked through the doors into the Great Hall. Draco noticed that Harry's nose was a little bit red, and under his eyes was a bit puffy. Draco was a ways away, but he could still see the dark stains of blood on Harry's skin. Draco tensed up, wondering who it was who had hurt Harry, and how he could get them back for Harry's pain.

Harry walked slowly to his normal spot, trying not to grimace with the pain of his nose. Percy glanced at Harry, and blushed a bit, embarrassed with his actions the previous day. Hermione looked over and saw the blood on Harry's face, and got worried.

"Oh my God, Harry, what happened to you?" Hermione forced Harry into a seat and dipped her napkin into her goblet of water, and started to clean the blood off of Harry's face. Harry got a little bit red in the cheeks, but otherwise didn't resist.

Across the room, Draco was quivering a bit, seeing someone hanging off of Harry. He lost himself for a moment, and muttered to himself.

"I want to do that…" His soft words attracted the attention of Blaise.

"What?" Blaise asked, wondering what Draco was acting crazy about. Draco snapped out of it, though not completely.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just daydreaming about Harry Potter," Draco replied. He noticed the strange looks everyone was giving him, and quickly revised what he had said. "And, uh, ways to completely destroy him." Everyone accepted this, as they knew how much Draco hated Harry Potter.

Harry glanced over at Draco's spot at the Slytherin table, and their eyes briefly met. They blushed a little bit, and looked away, going back to their separate places in their world.


	4. Chapter 4

That day, the first class was potions with the Slytherins. Hermione and Ron were whining about it, but Harry was secretly glad. Class with the Slytherins meant that he could see Draco for a little while. The dungeon hallways were especially gloomy, but Harry didn't seem to mind. They walked in Professor Snape's classroom, and Harry immediately saw that Draco wasn't there. They sat at their usual chairs, and waited for the lesson to begin. After a few minutes, Draco came in, sitting in the chair a bit to the left of Harry. Professor Snape strode into the room, his black robes flying dramatically behind him. A hush fell over the students, and Snape glared at them for a while, soaking in the uncomfortable atmosphere. He began to speak, soaking his words in hateful venom as usual.

"We currently have a shortage of very rare ingredients that will only become available sometime next year, so we will be creating a potion with pairs. Everyone find a partner, and do it quick. You have fifteen seconds."

There was a sudden scramble of motion as everyone lunged for a partner, and the sounds of scraping chairs and shouting filled the air. Ron and Hermione grabbed each other, abandoning Harry, and soon everyone else was partnered up. Everyone else, that is, except for Draco Malfoy.

Harry and Draco looked at each other, realizing that they would have to partner up. They both smiled just ever so slightly, which Draco quickly replaced with a scowl and Harry with a frown. They stiffly sat next to each other at a table, both trying to look as hateful as possible. Everyone was staring at the pairing, just waiting for the curses and counterspells to start flying.

Snape grabbed back the class's attention by the simple act of clearing his throat. "The potion will take a week to prepare. You will have to spend at least three hours here every day in order to finish it on time. You and your partner must be here at the same time, as it is impossible to brew this particular potion with only one set of hands. Do I make myself clear?" Professor Snape's face clearly showed his dare for anyone to say otherwise. No one even blinked, in fear that the professor would turn on them.

Hearing no opposition, Snape continued his terse speech. "Turn to page 273, the Trans Amar potion. Begin."

Harry and Draco looked at each other, trying to keep up the facade. Harry decided to break up the silence first, and opened up his book, skimming over the ingredients. He slid the book over to Draco.

"How about you get the ingredients, and I'll set up the equipment?" He tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, squishing down the urge to smile brightly. Draco was doing no better acting than Harry, and he just nodded and went to the ingredient cabinet, taking the book. Harry walked to the other side of the room, gathering a cauldron, mortar and pestle, measuring spoons, and flame manager.

Walking back to his table, he noticed that everyone had finally stopped staring, coming to terms that he and Draco wouldn't start fighting. He started setting up the cauldron above the flame manager, carefully laying down the other instruments on the table. Draco comes up, arms full of strange jars and flasks. Harry immediately stands up to help him get all the ingredients on the table. When the ingredients are all sorted, they look over the book together, their heads almost touching. They look at each other at the same time, both having the same thoughts.

"You do the odd steps, I do the even ones?" Draco asked, and Harry nodded calmly. They both serenely got to work, unaware of Ron and Hermione's repetitive glances in their direction. After a few minutes, they found their rhythm, and no longer bumped into each other while reaching for an ingredient. Ron whispered surreptitiously in Hermione's ear.

"Since when did they get along so well?" Hermione jumped a little at the sudden breath on her ear.

"I don't know," she hissed back. She looked over at Harry, simply observing for a few seconds. "Hey, Ron?

"Yeah?"

"Can you see that?"

"See what?" Hermione slapped Ron in the stomach, making sure he was paying attention. He started to protest, but Hermione cut him off short.

"They're in sync. I mean, they're literally orbiting around each other. Only people who are really comfortable can do that." Hermione and Ron fall silent, contemplating their friend's fate.

In front of Harry and Draco by a single row, Neville and Seamus were working together. They were both utterly absorbed in what they were doing, not noticing that their flame maintainer was beginning to malfunction. Suddenly, with a big bang, the entire contents of the cauldron soared out skyward, making a magnificent arch through the air. Inevitably, the mixture headed toward one table, where Harry and Draco were working.

A big splash of pink liquid cascaded over the couple, and both their faces held a mild look of surprise as they looked at each other's dripping face. The entire class was looking at them, hoping feverishly that the mixture was harmless, and would have no effect on them. Even Snape was paying attention, knowing exactly what affects the spilled potion would have.

Harry and Draco suddenly blushed and looked away, then shyly glanced back, only to blush even more and look back away. They started inching closer, Harry almost beginning to sit on top of Draco. Snape began burrowing through his potion cabinet, immediately finding a small splash vial filled with a clear liquid. He looked at the couple, and calmly wondered how far he should let it go before he stopped it.

Harry and Draco looked at each other, their cheekbones highlighted with the red of roses. Their faces got closer, and their eyes began to flutter closed. Their lips neared ever so slowly, Snape relishing every moment and Ron and Hermione's jaws left forgotten on the floor.

Their lips were mere millimeters away when Snape lobbed the splash vial at them, the fragile glass container shattering on the desk, showering Harry and Draco in sparkling liquid and sharp glass shards. The mist quickly cleared away, showing the couple in a full-on kiss. Hermione stuttered incoherently in outrage, breaking the spell.

Harry and Draco immediately noticed what was going on, and from sheer surprise, pushed away. At the same moment, Snape cast a repulsion spell, making the two boys fly much farther than they could have pushed, landing Draco in the laps of Crabbe and Goyle, and Harry in the laps of Ron and Hermione. The two boys were frozen in shock, and Harry slowly began to notice his awkward position. He looked up at Ron from his lap, smiling apologetically. Ron smiled back, knowing that the lack of comfort was mutual. Harry looked over at Hermione, and noticed that her face was red with rage. Mere seconds later, he understood why; his hand was on her breast. His face turned the color of a tomato, and he tried to stutter out an apology while attempting to get off of his friends.

"HARRY POTTER!" Hermione practically exploded, bringing her hand across Harry's face in a sharp slap. Harry's head whipped to the side and stayed there, Harry refusing to turn his head to look at Hermione. The room was utterly silent, and everyone was shocked by Hermione's burst of emotion.

Harry silently got up, turned, and promptly walked out of the door, not once letting anyone glimpse his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco was torn, not wanting to betray their secret, but not wanting Harry to have to be alone. In the end, Harry won out, and he started walking out the door after him. Crabbe called after him.

"Hey, where are you going?" Draco stopped, barely concealing his rage at the idiot.

"Well, I can't exactly do the potion myself, can I?" With that, Draco quickly turned out of the room, following where he thought Harry went.

"Hey, Potter." Harry turned around, looking at Percy. His cheek was turning bright red from Hermione's hand, and he leaned against the wall to wait for Percy to catch up.

"Hmm?" Harry didn't really feel like talking.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day. I realize that my anger was completely out of line." Percy extended his hand to Harry, hoping that Harry would forgive the outburst. Harry accepted the hand, and looked up at Percy.

"But Percy, why did you start blushing so furiously?" Harry's question was innocent, but Percy's face flushed an angry red. Percy slammed a hand on the wall next to Harry's head, effectively boxing him in. Draco poked his head around the corner, wondering what the commotion was about. Not having heard the conversation, he immediately misunderstood the situation, and got pissed.

Draco ran toward Percy and Harry, certain that Percy was trying to make a move on Harry.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Draco's words rang out, hot with anger. Percy turned his attention, just wanting something to lash out at. Draco swung at Percy, who barely stepped back in time. Percy went to punch Malfoy's stomach, which he sidestepped and returned with a jab. Harry ducked and ran out of the way, to the corner that Draco had just recently hid at. High heels clacked against the flagstones, signaling McGonagall's approach. She appeared around the corner second later, taken aback by the sight of the two boys quarreling. Harry cautiously poked his head around the corner, most of his body behind the wall.

Harry heard a slightly surprised "Huh," coming from above his head. Harry glanced up, seeing Professor Snape looming above him, staring raptly at the scene. Harry glanced behind him, not seeing any way to get out from under Snape. Harry deflated slightly, hating the horrid situations he kept getting into.

McGonagall finally managed to get the two boys apart, and Snape walked up. Harry sighed with relief, glad to no longer be trapped. McGonagall looked sternly at Percy and Draco.

"What on earth has gotten into you two? You both know fighting is strictly forbidden! I'm going to have to take points from both your houses." Percy and Draco both looked suitably abashed, and Professor McGonagall laid back on her sternness. "Twenty points each. But if I catch either of you two at it again, it will be fifty." With that, McGonagall went back along her business, blushing slightly at Snape. Harry frowned, wondering why Professor McGonagall was acting so weird.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

I apologize for the absolutely insane schedule that I've been keeping with this fan fiction. School has been killer lately, and I haven't had as much time to write as I would like. I hope you guys can bear with my lapses in creativity and time!

Snape went back to his classroom and Percy sulked off, leaving Harry and Draco alone in the corridor. Draco was standing up with his face turned down, his hair hiding his face. Harry tentatively went up to Draco.

"H…hey, are you alright Draco?" Harry's voice stuttered slightly, and his left hand reached out shakily to Draco. Harry's hand brushed Draco's cheek, and then cupped his face, gently tugging Draco to look up. Draco left his face in Harry's hand and looked up at him.

Harry let out a slight gasp of worry when he saw Draco's face. His lip was split and bleeding, his left cheekbone was bruised, and his eye was starting to swell closed. Draco turned his face into Harry's palm, squeezing his eyes shut.

Harry hesitated for a second, and then leaned forward. He moved his hand and kissed Draco's wounded cheek. Draco's breathing caught in his chest as Harry leaned in close, pausing before kissing Draco's lips. Draco didn't even hesitate before he kissed back.

No one was traveling through those hallways at that time, and Harry and Draco finally had an uninterrupted moment to enjoy themselves. After a few minutes of sweet kisses, Draco cautiously laid his trembling hands on Harry's chest, and Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck. The kissing intensified, and Draco's hands slid up underneath Harry's shirt, causing him to gasp in surprise. Harry lightly bit Draco's lip, causing Draco's breathing to come a bit quicker.

Draco pressed his weight against Harry, pushing him up against the wall. Harry mumbled something against Draco's lips, but the words were unintelligible. Harry pulled a little bit away and spoke in a rush.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Draco pulled away in surprise, hurt.

"What?" Draco's voice was soft and vulnerable. Harry couldn't see how hurt he was, and continued talking."

"I mean, we should be in a room or something, right? Somewhere private and uniquely us. Otherwise it doesn't mean anything." Draco relaxed, understanding what Harry meant.

Harry and Draco stared at each other, knowing that there wasn't any place in the castle that could serve their purposes. They also knew that they couldn't be together anytime soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Finals were almost completely over, and the year was coming to a close. It had been barely a month since Harry and Draco had come to realize that they couldn't be together during the school year. Harry had been depressed, barely talking at all to Ron or Hermione. His friends were worried, wondering what had happened to make him so sad. They tried funny stories, wizard's chess, and even Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Beans, but nothing seemed to pick him up. Draco was having a similar dilemma. However, unlike Harry, nobody bothered Draco as he seemed perfectly normal. Of course, he was in Slytherin, the depressing house of depression. Usually he was the most upbeat person in the common room.

Harry and Draco had finished the potion assignment within a week, passing Snape's final with flying colors. During class Snape would stare at them as if they were doing something wrong, which kind of freaked both of them out. It seemed that no one had forgotten the accident with the love potion yet.

As all of the other classes finished up their finals, the pace of everything started slowing down. Teachers were letting them goof off more in class, they didn't have to study as hard, and everything was basically getting ready for summer.

Harry and Draco both knew it was going to be a long summer without the other. They didn't want to part, but they knew they had to.

Finally, graduation day came. Professor Dumbledore gave his speech, the last feast of the year was eaten, and black caps were thrown into the air in a mass of fabric.

After the ceremony, most of everyone went off to finish packing and file onto the train home. Harry and Draco stayed behind a bit, the corridors almost empty. They looked at each other with miserable looks on both their faces, knowing how long they would have to wait before they could see each other again. Three whole months felt like a lifetime in that moment.

They exchanged one last passionate kiss before the long, lonely summer began.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone, for supporting me so far! I know the update schedule for this is really crazy. Sorry for the short chapter, but this was all I really had. At this point, since they're going into a different time period, I'm not sure whether or not to make a new book as a sequel, or to just continue on as is. Thank you all for your support and ideas! I love you all!


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a painfully long and slow summer for Harry. The Dursley family had been as cruel to him as ever, and it hurt him to be away from Draco. Harry tried to take solace in the fact that there was only two more months for summer vacation, but still. There was two whole months before he could go back to school.

Harry sat at his desk in his room, remembering how Dudley had overreacted when Harry moved his stuff up to that room. He looked through the letters from Ron and Hermione, wishing that there had been a letter from Draco in the pile. With a weary sigh, Harry picked up his quill and some parchment, and began writing back to his friends.

Suddenly, a loud pop echoed through his room, causing Harry to jump and nearly fall off his chair. Whipping around, Harry came face to face with none other than Professor Dumbledore. Harry faintly wondered if he had bumped his head.

"Professor?" was all that Harry could think of to say, and Dumbledore's wise eyes crinkled in a kind smile.

"Good evening Harry. I trust you are well?" Harry could only gape, mouth opening and closing rather like a fish. Dumbledore chuckled, and continued. "I must go on a little jaunt for some business, and I was wondering if you would like to come along. I would imagine that after these past three months you would have gotten quite lonely." Hearing this, Harry broke into a wide grin, excited to get away from his malcontent relatives.

"That would be wonderful, sir!" Dumbledore's smile grew wider, and he extended his arm to Harry. Harry cautiously took the arm, a bit wary. After a second of anticipation, they disapparated with a loud bang and found themselves in front of a large gate, leading up to a mansion. Harry stumbled away, as he was dizzy and nauseous from the experience. After steadying himself with his knees for a bit, Harry turned to Dumbledore.

"Where are we, sir?" Dumbledore broke into a small grin at the question.

"This, Harry, is the Malfoy mansion. I have a spot of business to take care of with Lucius." Harry's cheeks went a bit red, hoping that Draco would be home. Dumbledore looked at Harry and smiled, knowing that his suspicions had been right.

Dumbledore turned on his heels and went through the gate, which opened seconds before he went through. The old professor held himself with the liveliness of a man barely half his age, and Harry could barely keep up.

After a fair few minutes of walking, they finally came up to the front door of the mansion. Harry gazed upwards at the tall marble structure, held up by multiple arches and columns. Multiple large windows gazed out upon the world, looking rather lonely. Professor Dumbledore knocked on the imposing door, and after a couple seconds, the door opened to reveal a disheveled-looking Draco, pajama pants wrinkled and no shirt on.

The first thing Draco's sleepy mind processed was his headmaster standing at his door. He stared at the man, his mind not making the connections it usually would. Draco didn't even notice Harry standing there, who was rather busy blushing furiously and looking away from Draco's bare skin.

"Good morning Draco. I'm here to see your father. I do believe we had a meeting today." Without waiting for any words of invitation Dumbledore swept gracefully into the mansion, leaving Harry and Draco alone. By the time Draco finally realized that it was indeed Harry who was standing there Harry had managed to stop the blush.

"Oh, Harry! Uh, why don't you come in?" Draco's mind scrambled for excuses for his lack of courtesy. Harry stepped meekly over the barrier of the home, and Draco closed the door behind him. Harry found himself in a rather beautiful yet utterly modern looking foyer, with delicate lamps casting light upon the velvet couches and glass table. By this time, Draco had awkwardly realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Um, I'm gonna go get a shirt on now… Do try not to get lost; even I get turned around in here sometimes. I could've sworn I had a shirt on…" Draco's speech deteriorated into a mumble as he left the room. Left to his lonesome, Harry couldn't help but be curious. He walked softly, gazing at the different aspects of the Malfoy home. Good furniture and tasteful décor ruled here, and there were almost no personal affects around. Harry wandered from room to room, completely forgetting Draco's warning as he explored.

After about five minutes of exploring, Harry came across a kitchen. Peering in, Harry saw Draco there, pouring tea into two cups on a tray. Harry stopped and didn't say anything, simply watching Harry. Without even turning around, Draco spoke.

"Perhaps I should have told Professor Dumbledore that both my parents are away right now, but I suspect he already knows." Harry's eyes widened momentarily, wondering how in the heck Draco had known he was there. Draco calmly turned around with the tray in hand, and smiled. "Care for some tea?"

Harry was slightly off-guard. "Uh, sure, I guess." Draco led them back to the original foyer in the front of the house, and they sat down in a plush loveseat. Draco put the tray onto a curving coffee table, and handed Harry a cup. They both settled in the small couch, and Harry tentatively put the cup to his lips. He sipped almost warily, not sure if he would like what he tasted. The sweet tea was warm inside his mouth and Harry's eyebrows shot up, completely surprised at how good the drink tasted. Draco had been carefully watching him from the side, and smiled seeing that Harry liked the tea.

Harry couldn't suppress his curiosity. "Did you make this?"

"Yeah. Do you like it?" Draco's reply came smoothly.

"I love it! This is delicious!" Harry stared happily at his cup, not noticing Draco's blush.

"It's Sweet Rosemary," Draco said, smiling.

Harry looked around, suddenly remembering Dobby the house elf.

"Hey, don't you have a bunch of house elves to answer the door for you and make tea and stuff?" Harry's words were callous, and he flinched immediately as the words left his mouth. Draco didn't seem to mind the question, though.

"Oh, my parents are the ones who use them the most. I hate it when people do stuff for me that I can easily do, but my parents frown upon me doing mindless things like making tea. Whenever they're gone, I just tell the house elves to make sure I'm fed and that there doesn't get to be too much mess, and to just leave everything else alone." Draco sipped at his tea. "Besides, I like making tea. It's soothing." Draco's eyes immediately went wide. He hadn't meant to tell Harry about that! Harry's mouth curved into a small smile, staring into his cup. He was happy that he had found out something about Draco that no one else knew.

They sat there in comfortable silence for almost thirty minutes, drinking the Sweet Rosemary tea. Finally, the tea pot ran out of the sweet liquid, and Draco remembered that the Headmaster was somewhere in the house.

"Hmm…" Draco mused, catching Harry's attention.

"What is it?"

"The headmaster hasn't come back to ask why my parents are absent yet…" Draco's observation was almost unintelligibly muttered, but Harry easily understood what Draco had said.

"Huh. I wonder where he is." Draco looked sideways at Harry again, surprised. Usually when Draco spoke that softly people couldn't understand him to the point that they usually yelled at him to speak up.

Draco stood up and stretched a bit like a cat, and Harry looked up at him with innocently wide eyes. Draco walked to the door of the next room and looked through, letting out a startled sound.

"What is it?" Harry asked, getting up as well.

"Come here," Draco replied, looking at him with a smile on his face. Harry walked quietly towards Draco, and peered through into the room. There he saw his trunk and Hedwig, including a note taped onto his trunk. Harry walked over and gently tugged off the note. He looked at Draco, who looked as confused as Harry felt. Harry unfolded the note, and read Professor Dumbledore's looping handwriting covering the paper.

_I'm entrusting him in your care. I trust you'll take good care of him, Draco. - Dumbledore_


	9. Chapter 9

Harry was stunned. Draco peered over his shoulder, reading the note. Draco's eyebrows rose up, and they both stood there rather stunned. Draco recovered first, and wrapped his arms around Harry's stomach, shocking Harry out of his own stupor. The note fell out of his fingers, fluttering to the ground. Draco rested his chin on Harry's left shoulder, and Harry tuned slightly, looking at Draco. Draco's eyes were closed, his mouth curved in a smile. Harry started to smile too, just looking at Draco. Draco opened his right eye, meeting Harry's gaze. They both started to laugh at the situation, ending up just on the floor, limbs tangled together as tears seeped out of their eyes.

After a good five minutes, their laughs turned to hiccups, and they ended up just looking at each other again. Draco's characteristic smirk was still present, but a good deal softer than Harry was used to seeing, and Harry felt completely at ease in the other boy's presence.

"Do you want to see my room?" Draco's not-completely-innocent question caught Harry completely off guard, and Harry looked at him in slight confusion.

"What?" Harry's eyes expressed his confusion, and Draco smiled looking into them.

"My room. You haven't seen it yet, and I really want you to."

Harry smiled slightly, and he nodded. Draco broke into a grin and grabbed Harry's wrist, dragging him through the maze of rooms.

"Woah! Wait up!" Harry stumbled along as Draco pulled him around way too fast for his own good. They came to some large spiraling stairs, as white and modern as the rest of the house. Draco didn't even slow down as he started racing upwards, going through one, then two, then three flights of stairs. Harry's chest started feeling tight with fatigue as he ran up the stairs after Draco. Draco himself felt his lungs starting to clench up, but he was too excited to stop. At the fifth flight of stairs the staircase itself ended, and Draco pulled Harry to the doorway, bursting into a wonderfully large room with a comfortable-looking full sized bed with a light brown comforter thrown over it, a large bookshelf taking up the majority of one of the walls with books of every size and color, a sleek black computer and multiple other electrical items on a white desk, and multiple musical instruments on their respective stands including a piano, cello, and flute.

Harry stood still, trying to take the huge room in all at once. Draco's hand left his, both of them panting for air. Draco sat on the soft white carpet, resting his elbow on his knee, and Harry sank down right after him, leaning on Draco's back. They sat like that for a while, regaining their breath. Harry still stared around at the room, wondering at all the things he hadn't known that Draco even liked. Draco felt Harry's warmth penetrating through both their clothes.

Draco turned over, trapping Harry between his arms supporting from the floor. Harry was startled, and couldn't do anything as Draco pressed upon him. Draco paused inches away from Harry's face and looked into his eyes, seeming to ask for permission. Harry smiled, and wrapped his arm around Draco's neck, closing the gap between them.

Author's note:

Hey everyone! Sorry about not updating the last chapter for absolute ages. School, blah, blah, school, excuse, school, excuse, excuse, blah, school. You know how it is. If you find any problems with my writing or anything I can improve on, please tell me! I would love to know what you guys think of this! Love you all!


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: **WARNING!**** This chapter is a purely descriptive chapter. You can go on through the story without reading this chapter. This entire chapter is what happens in Draco's bedroom, and it will be rather intimate. If you're sensitive to yaoi or gay stuff (or under the wonderfully innocent age of 12), please don't read or hate. Thank you, you have been warned.**

Harry pulled Draco in, closing the gap between them. The kiss was sweet, and Draco's elbows started to go weak. Harry couldn't help himself, and he slid his hands underneath Draco's white shirt, laying his hands on Draco's stomach. Draco shivered and moaned, and their kissing got deeper and more passionate.

Draco's fingers entangled themselves in Harry's hair and pulled ever so slightly, causing the younger boy to gasp slightly, though their kissing didn't stop. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and tugged him off the floor, still keeping their lips connected. Draco pushed Harry over to the bed in the corner of the room and they collapsed on it, the sheets fluffing around them.

Somewhere in the hot mess of kisses and moans, Harry had managed to completely unbutton Draco's shirt, and Draco paused just long enough to tug Harry's shirt over his head. They now sat facing each other as equals, eyes closed as they let their mouths do what they wanted and explored each other's bodies with their hands. Draco's fingers played with the button on Harry's pants, causing Harry to shiver slightly. Draco, seeing no resistance, gently popped open the button, which Harry immediately returned for Draco.

They could barely contain the primal urges that consumed their bodies, and eventually the pants slipped off, leaving both boys on the bed in nothing but their underwear. They both felt secure in the fact that they wouldn't be disturbed for as long as they wanted, and took their time.

Harry smiled against the kiss, and leaned his forehead on Draco's. Draco paused.

"What's wrong?" Draco seemed genuinely concerned.

"I just find it amusing how fast we got our clothes off," Harry observed, slightly laughing as he spoke. Draco started laughing as well, and soon they were both on their backs, still relishing in the softness of the sheets. Once they calmed down, they looked at each other. They smiled, and Draco caught a glimpse of the large window. His eyes widened in wonder.

"It's already dark?"


	11. Chapter 11

"It's already dark?!" Draco's startled cry jerked Harry upright, and they both looked out the window in slight shock. Harry chuckled slightly, and Draco looked back at him with a small smile on his face.

"I'm not even hungry. If it's been nearly all day, shouldn't we be hungry?" Harry was quite baffled, and looked to Draco, who shrugged.

"Well, we'll probably get very hungry rather soon. Would you care for a late night snack?" Draco asked cordially, extending his arm out to Harry rather like a gentleman. Harry smiled a little bit confused and very much amused, and took Draco's arm. They nearly walked out the door to Draco's room when Harry paused.

"I kind of feel like we should put on some clothes first." Draco started laughing at this, and nodded in agreement. They slid into clean clothes and looked at each other, smiling lovingly. They then proceeded down the endlessly spiraling staircase down to the kitchen area. Draco took out a box in one of the lower cupboards, the wood of the box skillfully decorated with carvings. Draco almost tenderly opened the box, revealing rows of tea bags, meticulously sorted by the teas they contained. Harry's eyes widened slightly at the broad assortment of teas. Draco turned to Harry.

"Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Oolong, Jasmine, Chamomile, Sweet Rosemary?" Draco paused as he saw Harry's look of absolute confusion.

"Um, I think it would be best to let you decide, as I have no clue about teas." At this Draco smirked, and proceeded to select tea leaves, which he placed in two different bags, and bring the water in the tea pot to a boil. Once the pot started screaming, Draco took it off the heat and poured the fragrant tea into china cups. He dipped the tea bags into the warm water and offered one to Harry, who took it in slight awe of Draco. Draco sipped at the tea, and Harry followed suit.

"What kind is this?" Harry asked, wanting to learn more about what Draco was so passionate about.

"It's Jasmine tea. It's known for a more subtle taste and sweeter scent than other teas." At this point Draco forcibly stopped himself from talking, not wanting to bore Harry. Harry could tell that Draco was holding back, and spoke.

"Go on." Draco looked at him in surprise. "I want to hear it. I want to know more about the things you love." Hearing this, Draco smiled at him, relieved that he could truly be himself around Harry.

"It actually starts out as normal Green Tea, which is made from the dried leaves of _Camellia Sinensis_ and steeped at a rather low temperature. Then it's infused with the scent of jasmine flowers, which gives it the sweet smell and taste. But you have to be careful, because with any tea, if you have the water too hot, then the tea will come out really bitter. Higher quality teas normally have higher temperatures they can steep at, but higher quality means higher price." Draco looked at Harry, wanting to make sure Harry didn't hate him or anything for his interest in tea. Harry slid close to Draco.

"That's amazing. How did you learn all that?" Harry sipped at the tea, completely at ease.

"Private tutors love it when the pupils actually ask questions, no matter how much off topic they are," Draco replied with a smile. Harry smiled back.

"Hey, can you actually play all those instruments in your room?" Harry felt slightly insignificant, knowing he didn't have any really special talents.

Draco nodded in reply. "Dad kept giving me lessons for different instruments, but mum finally convinced him that knowing how to play five different instruments is plenty." Harry smiled, slightly envious, but determined to hide it. Draco seemed struck by an idea. "Hey… do you want to learn how to play the piano? I could teach you." Harry didn't expect this, and immediately turned down the offer as habit.

"I couldn't. It's not even practical. I mean, I wouldn't even have anywhere to practice except for this place."

"Hogwarts has an entire music room. It's completely filled with every instrument you could possibly dream of. Although it isn't always there." Draco slightly lost himself in thought for a moment before pulling himself back. "Anyways, I won't take no for an answer." With that, Draco grabbed Harry's wrist and started dragging him back up the horrifying amount of stairs. Harry just managed to put his cup down on the counter before being yanked away.

Author's Note: Whoa, 6,000 views! That's amazing! I have no idea how this got so popular! I love all of you guys who keep reading my chapters, you're really the only reason I keep doing this! Thank you so much! And please, if you have any requests for this story or for any future story, please review or private message me, I love hearing you're guys' feedback!


	12. Chapter 12

The unsteady notes of an unsure hand rang out through the room as Harry played scales, biting his lip as he concentrated. The lid on the grand piano was closed and Draco lay on top, head resting on his hands with his elbows propping him up. Draco stared at Harry's face, a small shadow of his old smirk on his lips. Suddenly, a sour note rang out, causing Harry to jerk his hand away from the piano, afraid of making mistakes. Draco chuckled softly.

"You know, it's nearly impossible to break a piano. I mean, look at me! I'm bloody laying on it!" Harry blushed slightly and looked away. Draco recognized Harry's look of sadness. "What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I'm fine," Harry replied with a smile. Draco could plainly see that Harry's smile was forced.

"Don't lie to me, Harry. What's wrong?" Harry swallowed, a little bit nervous at this. Draco could tell when he was lying? Draco looked at Harry, his icy blue-gray stare tunneling into Harry's mind.

"It's just… I don't really see the point in this. I'm obviously no good at it, so why are you bothering to try and teach me?" Harry let the small tirade of words come out in one long breath. Draco pushed slightly away, completely confused.

"What? I'm teaching you because I saw your face when I told you all I could do. You looked envious, and it looked like you felt like you couldn't do anything. Was I right?" Draco didn't even pause for an answer. "And I just really want to teach you, because I feel like I can share things with you. Also, do you know how long it took for me to start actually enjoying playing the piano?" Harry looked up at him. "Five years. Before that, I had to force myself to practice every day. So don't try to think that you're making slow progress." Harry looked down, blushing slightly. Draco sighed and slid down from the piano, then sat next to Harry. Harry was surprised, and immediately scooted over to make room. Draco closed his eyes and began to play.

The melody was strong, with subtle cords accenting the piece and tying it together. The harmonies were nearly heavenly, with the main cord changing regularly, turning the song into a story. The tempo slowed slightly before picking back up speed, becoming light and playful. Staccato notes rang out like birds until the music changed back to the initial sound. The notes became dramatized, and Draco played in fortissimo using a strong ritardando, creating a wonderfully resonating end.

Harry was in a daze, completely in awe of what Draco had just done. Draco looked at Harry, a small smile on his face. Harry was still shocked, and his eyebrows were raised almost comically. Harry's eyes were glued on the keys of the piano, wondering how Draco's beautiful fingers had coaxed such a sound from them.

Draco leaned toward Harry and placed a kiss on his cheek, which effectively broke Harry out of his daze. Harry leaned toward Draco, and they shared a passionate kiss. Draco pulled back and stared into Harry's emerald green eyes.

"Do you _want_ to learn how to play piano?" Draco's tone was completely serious, yet Harry answered almost immediately.

"Actually, I would rather listen to you play the piano than play it myself." Draco smirked.

"Fair enough." Draco glanced at the clock, noting that the time was already 1 in the morning. Draco laughed a little bit. Harry looked at what Draco was laughing at, and chuckled a bit himself.

"Well, good morning," Harry directed at Draco, smiling broadly.

"Good morning. How was your sleep?" At this, both young boys started laughing uncontrollably, ending up on the floor. Harry recovered first.

"We should probably sleep sometime before tomorrow arrives." His comment spurred another round of giggles. After a few minutes they had both calmed down enough to continue their conversation.

"Well, would you like to sleep with me, Harry? My bed is certainly big enough for the both of us." Draco aimed a lopsided grin at Harry, which he returned.

"Sure, let me just go get my pajamas out of my trunk." Harry started heading out of the room, but Draco waved him back.

"Oh, just have the night maid fetch it." Harry looked at Draco questioningly.

"The night maid?" Harry had grown up in middle-class muggle society, and had never had an encounter with any sort of maid. Draco called out into the dark hallway.

"Hey Hannah!" Draco stretched out Hanna's name, turning the simple call into a song. A young lady of maybe 21 appeared almost immediately, dressed in a formal maid uniform.

"Yes, young master?" Her voice was soft and shy, a small blush perpetually tinting her cheeks.

"Fetch Harry's stuff from downstairs, would you?" Draco's voice was almost sweet, and the young lady bowed.

"Right away, young master." With that, Hannah disappeared from view, although they could still hear the faintly muttered "Accio," as she used magic to retrieve Harry's trunk. She came back in, holding Harry's trunk in one hand and Hedwig's cage in the other. Hannah rested the trunk on the floor and put the cage onto a desk in the corner of the room. Harry saw that the owl was peacefully sleeping, and had fresh food and water.

"Is there anything else the young masters need?" Hannah asked, never once meeting either of the boys' gazes.

"No, Hannah; that will be all." She bowed deeply and retreated from the room. Harry glanced at Draco.

"What about the house elves?" Draco smiled softly.

"Well, house elves can't do everything, and we have human maids for the things house elves can't. Like laundry." Harry smiled at the offhand joke, and popped open his trunk. He could hear Draco changing behind him, and so didn't hesitate taking his own clothes off.

After they had both changed, they looked at each other. Harry had warm fleece pajamas, one of the better things he had gotten from the Dursley family. Draco wore fine silk garments that accented his eyes, obviously fitted and expensive. Harry blushed slightly, reminded yet again of his low position in society. Draco ignored Harry's blush and tugged him over to the large bed.

Draco started tearing apart the covers, about five layers flying everywhere. Harry stood back slightly, a little bit confused. Draco looked back at Harry.

"Trust me; you do not want to sleep underneath five comforters, especially when the room temperature is comfortable enough to sleep in." Harry smiled a bit in understanding, and Draco jumped into the bed, shifting to the farther end of the mattress to make room for Harry. Harry paused a moment, becoming a little bit shy, but nevertheless crawled onto the amazingly soft bed. The boys settled into the pillows, and sleep almost immediately weighed their eyelids down.

Hannah poked her head in and turned down the lights before disappearing once again, and the boys both drifted off into the depths of sleep.

Author's Note: Special thanks to SydneyPN4, your review was what made me get my butt up from watching anime and actually finishing this chapter. I love hearing all of your reviews; it's really what keeps me going in this. Please tell me what you think about this, your opinions are so important to me. I love you all!


	13. Chapter 13

The morning sunlight streamed through the window like liquid gold, rousing Harry from his sleep. He sat up and stretched, groaning slightly as something or other popped. Harry relaxed and gazed out the window, seeing the birds and butterflies dance around. He looked at Draco, who was somehow still asleep, despite the sun on his face. Harry though Draco looked rather peaceful asleep. Glancing at the clock, Harry saw that it was already nine in the morning. Harry placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and leaned in toward Draco, shaking him slightly.

Draco was enjoying the wonderful darkness of sleep, when someone was suddenly shaking him. Draco mentally groaned, not wanting to get up. _I swear, if that's Hannah trying to get me up again, I'm really gonna kill her._ Draco tried to ignore the shaking, but then someone started calling his name. _Huh, that sounds kind of like Harry…_ Draco wasn't an early bird in any sense, and his mind never worked fully in the early hours. Finally Draco cracked open his eyes, giving Harry a death glare, which Harry returned with a cheerful smile.

Harry smiled as Draco glared at him, and he could almost see the evil purple aura's tendrils writhing about, searching for something to strangle. _Well he's certainly not an early riser, nor a cheerful one._ Draco kept up the stare, and Harry kept on the frozen smile, neither of them giving any ground. Finally, Harry awkwardly slid out of the bed and started dressing for the day. Draco grumpily rose into a sitting position, glaring murderously out the window, and Harry could hear the bird song lessening.

Draco tried to get his mind to start functioning. He stared out the window, trying to reconnect his brain to the nerves controlling his body. Finally he swung his legs out of the bed, causing Harry to glance over. Draco stood up and stretched rather like a cat, before beginning to shuffle towards his closet. Harry simply watched in slight fear as the purple aura didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Harry shook off his feeling of dread and continued dressing, pausing when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his stomach. Harry stuttered a bit and tried to look behind him, even though he knew it had to be Draco. Draco rested his head against Harry's back and shut his eyes, comfortable in Harry's warmth. Harry's cheeks went a little bit rosy, but he didn't break away.

After a few minutes, Harry turned around, facing Draco's sleepy form. Draco looked at Harry with tired eyes, obviously not awake yet. Harry suddenly smiled slightly, and started pulling Draco's arm.

"What?" Draco asked, but he was already being tugged down the endless stairs and eventually outside the mansion. Harry led him into a spot of grassy shade, and plopped down on the ground, dragging Draco with him. Harry looked up at the sky, happily admiring the wildlife and clouds in the sky, while Draco looked at Harry, surprised to see this new side of Harry. Draco smiled softly and tilted his face to the sun, watching the birds run around.

The pair stayed as they were for the longest of times, not even speaking, as they knew they didn't need any words for what was going on. They simply lay on the grass, watching the clouds move across the sky as the winds toyed with them. Eventually a butler came out of the house, holding a tray with plates of food on it. The butler himself was rather old, with a white mustache and wrinkled face. The butler bowed, laying the tray of food on the ground near the two boys' heads, and promptly left, already knowing of Draco's morning grouchiness.

Harry rolled over, turning his attention to the plate, and Draco followed suit. There were stacks of finger sandwiches, crescents, and scones, multiple different types in multiple different piles. Harry looked at the food, slightly wide-eyed at the fact that neither of them had even asked for any food, yet the house keepers already knew exactly what they needed. Harry delicately picked up one of the sandwiches and took a small bite, tasting at the flavor. It was tame, a little bit bland, although Harry couldn't really recognize any of the individual tastes. Draco followed suit, absentmindedly munching while staring into space. Harry looked back up at the sky, and saw a small bird. It had dark blue feathers on its back, with soft yellow fluff covering its stomach. His eyes widened in wonder, and he sat up straight.

"That's a nuthatch! You almost never see them this far north!" Harry immediately pressed his lips together and blushed furiously. Draco leaned toward Harry, who didn't notice, too absorbed in his embarrassment. Draco positioned himself in front of Harry's face and grabbed his chin, making Harry look at him. Harry's eyes were wide and startled. Draco spoke softly, making Harry listen.

"We seriously need to stop this."

"W… what?" Harry was confused at that point, not really understanding Draco's nearly poetic speech.

"We're hiding everything from each other. I mean, we're only now learning a bunch of stuff that we probably should have known a while ago."

"What do you mean?" Draco sighed at Harry's question.

"We've been technically going out ever since I kissed you in the forest, the week after Buckbeak was supposedly executed." Harry's eyes widened slightly in shock.

"What do you mean supposedly executed?" Harry was suddenly nervous, thinking perhaps Draco had seen Harry and Hermione use the time turner in order to save Sirius. Draco smiled slightly, shaking his head.

"I know that wasn't the hippogriff's head the executer chopped. It was just a pumpkin. And don't you think you're surprised at the wrong part of my sentence?" Draco was actually a little bit put off that Harry had completely brushed off his comment.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry looked up at Draco with an insane amount of innocence brimming in his eyes. Draco closed his eyes and shook his head, backing away from Harry.

"Never mind." Draco crossed his arms behind his head and went back to gazing at the clouds, leaving Harry a little bit breathless at the whiplash Draco was giving him with his mood swings.

"Wait, what do you mean by _that?!_"

"Ouch! Harry, get off me!"

"Not until you tell me what you meant!"

"About what?!"

"That entire conversation!"

"Why should I?"

Harry paused in his attack to look at Draco with watering eyes and a quivering lip, showing off the tried and true puppy dog eyes. Draco narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That's not a reason, you know."


	14. Chapter 14

"Of course it's a reason!" Harry retorted.

"Puppy dog eyes are not a valid reason. And if you want to know what I meant, then figure it out for yourself!" Draco was actually getting a little bit annoyed.

"Oh, come on! Please!" Harry was almost whining, not understanding anything that was happening.

"Did you even hear my comment about how we've technically been dating since that day in the forest?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Harry paused for a second, finally understanding what the statement actually meant. "W- we- we have?!"

Draco smirked, shocked at how cute Harry could be. "Good grief, you're so adorable." Draco started leaning in towards Harry's furiously blushing face. Harry hadn't noticed Draco coming closer, so he was startled when Draco's lips met his. Harry quickly relaxed, enjoying the romantic moment.

After a few seconds, Harry pulled away, having been struck with a though.

"Um, Draco?" Harry's voice was rather small and thoughtful, which slightly concerned Draco.

"Yeah?"

"What are we gonna do when we get back to school?" Harry looked shyly into Draco's eyes, truly not knowing what was going to happen when they walked back into the castle.

Draco made a small noise, thinking about what to say. Harry leaned into Draco and they embraced, Draco sitting cross-legged and holding Harry's head under his chin, while Harry was hugging Draco's chest. They sat like this for a while, wondering what would happen. Draco decided to break the silence first.

"Well… do we want everyone else to know about us, or do we want to keep it a secret?" Harry didn't move, keeping his head burrowed into Draco's chest.

"Wait, what?" Harry's words were nearly unintelligible, muffled by Draco's shirt.

"Do we want the entire school to know that we're gay? I mean, it could cause problems for both of us, but on the other hand, if we don't come out we won't be able to see each other at all." Harry's eyes widened at this possibility, and he looked up at Draco's face. Harry drank in Draco's features; his high cheekbones, his perfectly curved lips, his beautiful grey eyes, and his blonde hair. Draco looked down on Harry, doing the exact same.

"I don't like it when I can't see you. It makes me sad," Harry said in a small voice. Draco's heart panged at his boyfriend's tone, and he squeezed Harry a small bit harder before replying.

"Well then, everyone else will just have to deal with it. So, what do you say to a passionate kiss after we come off of the train? Or should we perhaps wait until the feast?" Harry chuckled, shaking his head at Draco's foolishness.

"Perhaps we should do something more subtle, like holding hands or something." Draco smiled at Harry's notion; not looking over the fact that Harry was still quite a bit introverted. Draco leaned in close to Harry.

"Why are you so introverted?" Draco asked, his lips nearly brushing Harry's. The younger boy's lips trembled slightly, and he found himself completely unable to answer. Draco continued mumbling. "I swear, I will turn you into a happy extrovert." Harry inhaled slightly, wondering if Draco meant what he thought. Draco leaned in a bit more and finished the kiss, and they both allowed themselves to be melted down by the heat of the moment.

Author's note: Sorry for the short chapter and the ginormous wait, busy and such. I love hearing your reviews, and I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter. Also, I'm thinking of upping the rating to M, instead of just T, because some of my future chapters are going to be a bit... descriptive. Love you all!


	15. Chapter 15

Draco and Harry were kissing passionately, tangled up on the warm grass with the summer sun beating down on their skin. They couldn't imagine anything that could make them happier than just being together. They felt like they could truly be themselves with each other.

Their moment of bliss was interrupted by a rather young female voice clearing her throat. They looked up, seeing the young maid Hannah from the night before. Hannah was blushing furiously, her gaze looking off to the side rather than at them. Draco shifted himself off of Harry and spoke to Hannah.

"What is it, Hannah?" The girl took a slow breath to steady herself before speaking.

"A letter came for you by owl. It is from your parents," Hannah said, her voice unusually quiet. She held out a sealed letter to Draco, her hand slightly shaking. Draco took it and started opening it. Hannah, knowing she was no longer needed, began heading back to the house.

Draco opened the letter and began reading, and Harry waited patiently even though he was bursting with impatience on the inside. Draco's signature smirk rose on his face, and he glanced at Harry.

"What does it say?" Harry asked, dying to know. Draco grinned.

"Apparently my parents already know that you're staying here. And they're coming back next week so we can all go shopping for school," Draco replied, a little bit confused. Harry's eyebrows went up, and he was speechless for a bit. After a few moments of silence, Harry found his voice again.

"I wonder if they know about… us," Harry started, slightly worried. Draco smiled at his love's self-consciousness.

"Well, from the letter, I think they just think we've become friends, although I'm not sure how they think that. We were pretty much mortal enemies for the past three years," Draco replied, and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I was pretty sure you hated me," Harry said, glancing at Draco in the corner of his eye. Draco's lips curved in a small, sad smile.

"Well, for a while there, I thought so too," Draco murmured, barely loud enough for Harry to hear. Harry glanced up sharply, looking into Draco's silver grey eyes. Draco looked back at Harry, his sad smile still plastered on his face. Harry suddenly laughed and collapsed backwards onto the green grass, catching himself on his elbows and looking back up at the sky.

"We really are idiots, aren't we?" Harry spoke softly, as if in a revelation. Draco was confused for a moment, and then smiled as he understood. Draco mimicked Harry and folded back, looking up to the sky.

"Well, if we weren't, life wouldn't be as fun, would it?" Draco asked, looking at the strange hat-shaped cloud he saw. Harry looked at him, slightly startled. He hadn't expected that reaction. Harry had thought that Draco would have defended his intellect, not wanting to seem imperfect. But instead, Draco had let himself be open with Harry once again, and Harry smiled softly.

They went on as they had that morning, pointing out clouds and birds, soaking up the sun as they talked. They lost track of time, and were having so much fun that none of the servants wanted to disturb them. However, Harry soon saw that Draco's skin was becoming a bit pink, and Harry rolled over, gently caressing Draco's cheek. Draco froze in surprise, all too aware of how close Harry's face was.

"You're getting pink. We should probably head back inside now," Harry said, whilst being completely unaware of Draco's discomfort. Harry got up swiftly and extended an arm to Draco, who took it gratefully. They began to head back toward the manor, and Harry's stomach whined softly, followed quickly by Draco's. They both looked at each other and laughed, and continued walking.

When they got inside, Harry started gathering ingredients in the kitchen. Draco paused, slightly confused.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Draco inquired, wondering why Harry would do such menial labor when he could easily just ask one of the staff to make food. Harry looked back at Draco and smiled.

"I like cooking. My aunt always used to make me finish cooking for her so she could fawn over her precious son or something, and somewhere along the way I started to enjoy it," Harry said, going back to work while still talking. "I find it rather soothing. Plus I get to create something, and actually eat what I created. It's really fun for me," Harry continued with a smile. Draco sat at the counter, trying to mostly stay out of Harry's way.

Harry gathered noodles, cheese, raw meats, tomatoes, potatoes, bread, butter, garlic, and basil, getting ready to begin making his masterpiece. He set some water to boil and took out the meats from the package, shaping them into small meatballs. Harry then put the meatballs into the heating water, and began dicing the tomatoes into small chunks, and then pushed them aside to start slicing the potatoes.

Draco watched Harry's short fingers work, the fingers seeming to never miss a beat in an internal orchestra that Harry was conducting. Draco began daydreaming of Harry and what they could be together in the future, still watching Harry's hands with intensity.

Harry buttered the bread and put a fair bit of garlic on it, then placed the bread slices on a rack and put them into the oven, which was somehow already warmed up. The water started steaming and Harry took the pasta, dumping it into the pot. He turned the heat down with a turn of a knob, and scooped the tomatoes into a small bowl. Harry sprinkled a small amount of basil over the tomatoes and potatoes, and he got down two shallow bowls. He stirred the pasta around in the water, making sure the noodles didn't burn.

Draco paid attention to what Harry did as he worked, not wanting to miss anything he did. Draco was nearly hypnotized by Harry's hands scoop some of the pasta out of the pot and into a bowl. He put down the bowl and pulled out the garlic bread, sticking a slice into the pasta. Harry placed in a few of the potato wedges, and then sprinkled the tomatoes on top. Harry added a dash of cheese and elegantly presented the dish to Draco, quickly sticking a fork next to the dish.

Harry began preparing his own, and Draco waited for Harry to finish. Harry noticed Draco wasn't eating, and glanced up from his work.

"You can start eating if you want," Harry said, almost startling Draco. Draco looked up.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. The chef always eats last, because everyone else must be attended to first. It's a rule of the kitchen," Harry replied with a smile. He finished preparing and sat next to Draco, waiting for his crush to take the first bite.

Draco could see Harry watching him, and he picked up his fork. He gently spun a bit of pasta around the fork, wrapping it up neatly. Draco stuck a meatball on the end, and delicately leaned forward, his proper manners never abandoning him. Draco's eyes widened as he tasted the flavor burst in his mouth and Harry smiled, pleased with himself.

Knowing that Draco was set, Harry tasted his creation for himself. Harry took a bite and paused, perpetually wondering how he could improve. He thought perhaps he could add a little bit of salt to the potatoes, so the texture wouldn't be so monochrome.

Draco was completely stunned. He had never known that Harry could cook, let alone that he could cook this well! Draco could barely comprehend anything past the flavors in his mouth, it was just that good. Draco kept eating, savoring each bite. All too soon Draco ran out of food, and he turned to Harry, who was just finishing up his plate. Harry looked to Draco expectantly, waiting for a reply of some sort.

"Harry, that was by far the best meal I've had in absolute ages." Harry's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?" Harry couldn't believe that he had managed to please Draco so much. Harry was ebullient.

"Of course! I mean, everything was just so delicious, and it was all so amazing, and I bloody love you." Harry's face flushed a bit pink.

**Author's note: Sorry for the long wait! School and stuff keeping me from writing as much as I would like. Even though I rarely do any of my homework because I'm such a procrastinator... -_-'**

**ANYWAYS, I'm still having a ton of fun writing this. It's also so fun to read all the reviews that you guys leave. Those reviews really keep me going with this. I hope you guys are still enjoying this! I love you all!  
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	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note: I'm sooooo so sorry you guys! I just completely procrastinated and avoided absolutely everything! I'm so sorry! I also had finals and crud, but yeah. I should hopefully be uploading a lot more regularly. Definitely not every day, but that will be my aim. I love all of you, and your reviews really keep me going in this. So thanks for reading my rather short ramble, on to the story.**

"Harry, that was by far the best meal I've had in absolute ages." Harry's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?" Harry couldn't believe that he had managed to please Draco so much. Harry was ebullient.

"Of course! I mean, everything was just so delicious, and it was all so amazing, and I bloody love you." Harry's face flushed a bit pink. Draco leaned forward and kissed Harry's cheek, which caused Harry's face to go even pinker. Harry's lips turned into a giddy smile, and Draco chuckled slightly. Their lips met for a soft kiss. They pulled away and stared into each other's eyes, and neither of them wanted to end the moment. Then a thought struck Draco, and he leaned to the side to look at one of the clocks.

"Holy crap," he muttered, "It's already four o' clock." Harry looked behind him at the same clock, and laughed softly.

"Yeah, it is. Dang, the time's going fast." Draco looked at Harry and smiled softly. Suddenly, Draco remembered something.

"Oh no," Draco groaned, catching Harry's attention.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concerned for his boyfriend.

"My parents are coming back today, at five," Draco stated plainly, and Harry kind of froze, a bit in shock.

"Oh dear," Harry said faintly. Draco quickly tried to reassure him.

"Well, the elves have already cleaned everything, I mean they always clean everything as soon as it gets dirty, and in the letter they said that they already knew about us and that it was okay, although it's really easy for them to lie about that, since it was a letter, and letters don't really contain tone very much-"

"Calm down! I'm sure it'll be just fine," Harry interrupted, not liking the fact that Draco was freaking out.

Draco looked at Harry, relieved that Harry was able to stay calm when he couldn't. Harry smiled softly, his eyes saying that everything would be alright. Draco pulled Harry into a swift hug.

"We should probably get ready. First impressions are everything," Draco started, biting on his thumb.

"Hey, what did I just say?" Harry said rather sternly, catching Draco's eye.

"Calm down?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Exactly. So you had better calm down, otherwise I'm gonna start freaking out. And you do not want me to start freaking out." Harry's voice was forcedly calm, but on the inside he was already screaming. Draco nodded and took a deep breath. "So, how fancy should we get? Tuxedos and bowties?" Harry teased, grinning crookedly. Draco smiled back at the effort and chuckled.

"Good shirts and slacks should be just fine. At least, they should be for my mom, anyway. My dad can be a bit old-fashioned sometimes. But I don't see how he would expect anything more than that…" Draco trailed off, a bit lost in thought. He almost didn't notice when Harry grabbed his hand and started dragging him to his room. Or at least, that was Harry's intention. Harry glanced around, completely unsure of where he was in the house.

"Oh, shoot," Harry muttered, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings. The ceilings were high, but so were all the other ceilings. A stylish mix of modern and old paintings was put up sporadically yet meticulously along the walls, as with almost the entire rest of the house. The lighting came from some soft floor lamps and a small chandelier hanging up, providing more than enough light, even though the sun was still up and blaring.

Draco came out of his train of thought. "Haven't gotten lost, have you?" He chuckled slightly. Harry stuttered in embarrassment and pride.

"Of course I'm not! We're just taking a little detour, is all," Harry exclaimed. His voice was a bit higher than his usual semi-deep voice, giving away the lie. Draco laughed.

"Come on, it's this way. You were actually pretty close," Draco reassured him and started pulling Harry's arm. Draco led the way through the maze of doors and corridors, finally coming to his familiar room. They settled on the neatly-made bed, which one of the maids must have fixed up.

"Man, your house is such a maze! How can you even go through this place without a map?" Harry's voice contained a hint of a whine. Draco smiled softly"

"I've lived here for 14 years, so it's almost impossible for me to get lost at this point," he responded quietly, his face content and calm. Harry glanced at him, his blue green eyes skimming over Draco's face. Draco's stormy silver gray eyes showed a mix of emotions that Harry couldn't quite figure out, and it scared him.

"Are you okay? You seem… down," Harry tentatively asked the question, not wanting to make Draco mad or anything by saying something wrong. Draco looked back at Harry, a smile on his face.

"I'm fine! Just having some memories pop up. Shall we get ready? We only have…" Draco glanced at the wall clock in his room, "About half an hour, so we should probably get started, just so we're not scrambling to finish it all within five minutes."

"Mmkay. Oh, uh, Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't exactly have any fancy shirts… at all…" Harry's voice was quiet and he blushed slightly. Draco glanced at Harry, worried about the shame in his voice.

"Oh, don't worry about it! You can just use one of mine!" Draco's voice was bright and reassuring, but Harry still was shy.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Draco smiled brightly and tossed a shirt at Harry. "It might be a little bit big on you, but it should still look fine," Draco continued. Harry looked at Draco and smiled fully.

"Thanks!" Harry exclaimed. He was caught off guard when Draco suddenly went in for a kiss. Harry quickly relaxed and kissed back. The kiss didn't last long, as they were both aware that they didn't have any time to mess around.

They quickly dressed and Draco made a half-hearted attempt at smoothing down Harry's birds nest hair. He gave up when five minutes of wrestling with a comb did absolutely nothing except bring small tears of pain to Harry's eyes.

"Ow! Stop it!" Harry snapped, at his wit's end with the comb.

"Aah! I'm sorry Harry!" Draco quickly apologized, skillfully removing the comb and gently kissing the top of Harry's head.

"That didn't make it feel any better," Harry said sulkily.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N Oh gosh everyone, I'm so sorry! Everything just started getting out of hand and I ended up not uploading at all, and I'm so sorry! Please forgive my harebrained nature. I hope you enjoy this update, small and utterly late as it is, and I hope I'll be able to get the next chapter up kinda soon-ish. However, I do have an AP test for World History coming up, so I may be too busy, and for that I'm so so sorry! I'm such a horrible person T_T_

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"That didn't make it feel any better," Harry said sulkily. Draco hugged him.

"I'm so sorry! But your hair is just so messy…" Draco's voice showed his reluctance to leave Harry's hair alone. Harry made a frustrated sound.

"It's always been messy! Always has, and always will! There's just no getting around it, unless you shave it all off," Harry added the last part jokingly, smiling up at Draco. Suddenly, twin popping sounds rang out in the mansion.

"They're home," Draco said quietly. He helped Harry up and began leading him out of Draco's room and back downstairs. Reaching the foyer, Draco went in first, followed quickly by Harry.

"Ah, Draco. We're home," Draco's father said cheerfully. He noticed the shy brunette slightly hiding behind Draco, but didn't say anything.

"Hello mother, father. Welcome home," Draco said rather softly. Draco turned slightly, gesturing for Harry to come forward. "Mother, father, this is Harry. Harry, these are my parents," Draco said helpfully, getting the introductions out of the way. Harry took in Draco's parents' appearances.

They both wore long black robes, although the robes were obviously tailored to them. Draco's father had long white-blonde hair, put into a low ponytail and reaching down to the middle of his back. His eyes were more of a gray than anything else, flashing intelligently. Draco's mother had hair that was a few shades darker than the rest of the family, and there were shocking streaks of jet-black throughout her hair, which reached just a little below her shoulders. Her eyes were a silvery blue, sparkling beautifully in the lighting of the room. Harry bowed a little bit.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," he said. His voice was insanely quiet, almost to the point of not being able to hear him. His cheeks were tinged with shyness, and he hid his clammy hands behind his back. Draco's parents smiled warmly.

"Oh please, you can just call me Narcissa," Draco's mother replied. Harry glanced up and saw her smile sparkling in her eyes, and he smiled back.

"And I'm just Lucius," Draco's father added. Lucius stepped up to Harry and offered his hand to shake. Harry hesitantly reached his own hand out, grasping Lucius' hand in a firm shake. Harry smiled up at him, and Lucius smiled back. Harry felt a little bit braver.

A house elf diffidently entered the foyer and spoke in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. "Dinner has been prepared, if Masters would like to eat now." Her voice was slightly trembling not in fear, but rather in awe. Her head was bowed as she avoided eye contact. Narcissa smiled at the house elf.

"Why thank you Dahlie. Shall we go eat?" She directed the question to Draco and Harry. Draco smiled and nodded, already knowing that the house elves would give him and Harry slightly smaller portions since they'd already ate.

They moved into the large dining room, where the dishes were already set and loaded with food. The meal was set on the plates artistically, each dish looking like a work of art in itself. Harry's breath whooshed out quickly, but thankfully quietly. Only Draco had noticed, who simply glanced over at Harry with a small, caring smile on his face.

Narcissa and Lucius took their seats at the opposite heads of the rather large dining table, Draco and Harry sitting in the middle two of the four chairs on that side of the table. Harry noted that the table was made of sturdy glass, with incredibly subtle smears of color streaking through it. Even the chairs were surprisingly modern and strangely beautiful. Harry had before thought of the Malfoy's as a traditionalistic family, with impossible traditions and long-held prejudices. However, he had found the family to be just the opposite.

As the heads of the family began to eat, Draco and Harry began taking small bites as well. Harry could see the portions were distinctly smaller, though arranged so they appeared the same as the other plates. Harry smiled, thinking about earlier.

Draco ate with small forkfuls, and he couldn't help but think that Harry's food tasted so much better than this. Heck, maybe anything would taste better if Harry made it simply because he had made it? Draco couldn't tell anymore, and didn't really care that much.

"So, how close are the two of you?" Narcissa's sudden question caught the two boys by surprise, causing Harry to nearly drop his fork and Draco to jump almost out of his chair.

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_A/N Again, so many apologies for the lateness and shortness of this. But anyway, if you're enjoying the story, have a complaint, want to give a criticism, want something specific to be put in, please drop a review, it really gets me off of my butt and typing away. I love you all for continuing to read this! You guys are all so awesome._


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